The Future of Genetic Research

In the more than 10 years since the official completion of the Human Genome Project, scientists have made amazing strides in the fields of biotechnology, medicine and pharmaceuticals.

Recent advances in genetics have opened new avenues of opportunity for medical researchers and health care practitioners in discovering new treatments and in identifying dangerous conditions before they become life-threatening issues. In the field of science discoveries you will see the innovation in research to find the fountain of youth and long lasting life. Continuing research in the field of DNA testing and genetic disorders will likely have a significant impact on everyday life in the future.

Medicine
In conjunction with the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute is sponsoring a comprehensive study of cancer genomics. The Cancer Genome Atlas (CGA) is expected to provide answers regarding the specific genetic changes that allow cancer to form and grow inside the human body. As further discoveries are made by the research scientists at the CGA, it is likely that new treatments and new genetic therapies will be available for cancer patients. Genetic testing can also identify individuals at higher risk for various conditions and can allow health care professionals to provide proactive treatment for patients now and in the future.
Biotechnology
Lessons learned from the Human Genome Project may point the way to new sources of renewable energy. Companies are already exploring cost-effective ways to use bioconversion techniques to create methane and other hydrocarbons from biodegradable garbage. By applying the knowledge acquired from genetic research to the creation of methane by microorganisms, scientists have already achieved promising results in the field of methanogenesis. Engineered bioorganisms may also provide assistance in environmental cleanups; the Joint Genome Institute is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and is tasked with developing microbial solutions for environmental clean-ups around the world. This may result in a cleaner and healthier world for future generations.
Pharmaceuticals
Molecular medicine depends heavily upon the research performed and the discoveries made during the Human Genome Project. DNA analysis of existing medications and the isolation of specific genes responsible for various illnesses will allow greater customization of medications for individuals in the future. As the cost of sequencing individual genomes continues to fall, the information provided by these procedures will allow greater customization for medications and reduced side effects for most patients.
Advances made possible by DNA analysis and genome sequencing techniques will provide significant benefits for everyday living. The cutting-edge research being performed by government agencies and private companies will promote a healthier environment and improved prognoses for individuals in the U.S. and around the world.

One of the most dynamic aspects of genetic research is the quest to create genetic treatments to slow aging. The definitive goal in the engineering of genetic treatments to slow aging is to understand aging in human beings. Much of the studies for human genetics are not only conducted on human beings but also on replica organisms such as the fly, worm, rodents and yeast to find genetic variations that affect aging.

According to Geneticists, at birth human beings are endowed with 30,000 active genes. As we age these genes slowly become inactive resulting in a slowing down of bodily functions such as a reduced immunity, slower metabolism, loss of energy and weakened eyesight.

Genetic treatments to slow aging experiments have been conducted that can live six times their usual span. Geneticists claim they may have tapped into one of the most fundamental factors that which controls the rate at which people age.

The genetic treatments to slow aging tests were conducted on single-celled organisms, forcing them into as geneticists claim an "extreme survival mode". Rather than growing quickly and showing signs of aging the organisms became pliant to damage and were better able to repair the genetic defects that build up with age, often leading to cancer in later life.



Scientists believe that drastically cutting calories triggers a switch in an organism's behavior to a state of starvation and subsequently growth and ageing are put on hold at the expense of reproductive ability until more food is available. Scientists are now trying to copy the effect by manipulating the gene pool in the hope of developing anti-ageing treatments that work without having to cut food intake.

According to the study, genetic treatments to slow aging experiments with animals are likely to continue for the next decade before tests in humans will begin. If the same genetic apparatus exist in humans, researches believe it could lead to drugs that suppress aging, particularly after people have had families. In addition, scientists at Stanford have claim that they can reverse the aging of skin in mice, making it look at act like new.

Researches claim that the genome has amazing plasticity and when you understand the logic of the cells it may be possible to reprogram them to reverse the aging process. However, researches go further to say that their discoveries do not translate directly to humans.

Last year in the United States, youth crazed human beings spent five point eight billion dollars on skincare products. This demonstrates that they are not afraid of taking risks to find the ultimate genetic treatment to slow aging down even if it has been clinically or scientifically unproven.

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Increasing lifespan is not the same as reversing aging. To reverse aging is to bring all systems and organs in an aged biological system to what it was at earlier times. Such thing can possibly be achieved by stem cells.

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